The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1887-04-05
BUSINESS FARMING.
The Profits OF Many Farm Sacrificed
Through Careless Management.

The Profits OF Many Farm Sacrificed
Through Careless Management.
How many agriculturistS run their
farms on strict business principles?
And farming is as much n business us
wagon building; more, in fact, for
larger and more varied experience l.
required, and there are greater num-
Der of technical points to he master of.
Three requisites for success i'm manu-
facture are capital. good business nun
agement (attentiOn To little things),
and ability To dispose of the products
Of manufacture at rcmunerativc prices.
| And the lack of ANY one of these three
! may alone De- responsible for failure to
make either manufacturing or farming
pay. The lack of little capital may
keep Il farmer : nose To the gTindSiuuc
the year round, anil prevent him from
taking advantage Of opportunities
which frequently occur tn enlarge his
income; the Lack of business manage
ment makes his work continual
grind. and eats up the profits that
should be derived from his own labor
and the labOrS of those hc employs,
AMI ~ failure to keep posted regard
ing the markets. or from necessity To
realize ut once. hc Is always compelled
to sell short.
A farmer goes tn u carpenter to- have
a hen house built. The worker-in-wnod
Immediately figures ON the amount of
lumber required for the job. and the
quantity of nails and either hardware
needed: ne estimates carefully the time
it will take to bald it, and considers
what outside help ne must have, and
lastly. he charges Il percentage ON the
cost of the lumber and the WAGES of
the men he employs. The lumber.
| wages for himself and men. and margin
of profit for wear and tear of tools,
etc. having been summed up, he is able
| to tell ut once what the structure will
cost. and when ne receives his order to
90 ahead with the work, he knows
pretty nearly how much he is going to
make out of it before a blow has been
struck.
4
gives himself contract tO produce a
certain amount nf grain. But does he
ever sit down tn estimate the cost of
seed and fertilizers. or cndeavOr to- as
certain what the labor of cultivation
and harvesting will amount to-? And
does he ever think of the margin of
profit Ia cover interest on investment,
wear and tear of tools, etc? Perhaps
the two cases are widely different. from
the nature of things, but, for al that.
it is fact that few American farmers
know, when their produce is sold.
whether they have made money or lost
money by having produced it.
Turn sharp corners. Study To make
the most of every thing; ~y>tematize
all farm work that there be no lost
hours. and no wasted moments through
mistakes that little foresight would
have avoided, or through the imper-
fectionS of old tools and worn-Out ma
chinery. Attend tn every thing prompt
"; buy for cash and save money,
though always buy the best, for u poor
thing is dear at any price. Don't hire
Il dollar-aud-l-Eal man for two dollars
and let him have one of the boys half
Uf the time To wait on him. That is the
way plumbers get rich, for their pat
rons pay the wages and they make Il
profit nn both man and "hclpcr'-thC
shoe i un the other foot in farming.
however.
In these days of close competition,
every farm transaction OF operation
should be- brought under systematic
analysis that every dollar spent may be
made to yield fair profit. and if the
dollar l. turned over two or three
times, two or three profits should Ell
sac. Reduce c""~y thing tn a money
value. and it viii be an easy matter nu
the first of January tn deduct the wear
expenses from thc wears income. and
the balance, If amy, viii show how
much has been made. And, should
this balance bail; cover personal cN-
prnses for the wear, the farmer is
only making living. aud hId better
look into things and sees where he can
increase his '.buI>;ucSs. Our COHRtj3
Home.